Getting Involved

Evelyn Kurzac

"I play water polo here. When I was looking at schools, I wanted to find a school that was small, I wanted to participate in athletics, and I wanted to find a school that had my major, which is occupational therapy. I only looked into a couple of schools. Since I’m from Chicago, I wanted to try something new. I wanted to come out and just experience something, and if I didn’t like it, I could always go home. Since freshman year, I’ve really enjoyed it, and I’m glad I’m here. I like the connections with the faculty. The professors are very personable; they’re always there for you if you ever need anything. And I just love the balance between academics and sports.

I feel like being involved is really huge here. I feel like that’s how you create a lot of your bonds and your lifelong friendships. I feel like the professors here know how to approach every student individually. Obviously the professors are there for your academics, but I feel like as soon as you step foot into Utica College, I feel like they’re also here helping you grow as an individual. I feel like I’ve matured and become a better communicator and a better listener.

Something that has really helped me is the Utica College library. The librarians are so helpful. We have math centers and writing centers. Academic Support is really helpful too. There’s tutoring if you ever need help. I have accommodations here with like extra time on my tests. I take my tests at different locations. I feel like they’ve really helped me with my academics in general. I’m going strong. I start graduate school for occupational therapy next year.

I feel grad school will be beneficial because it will be more OT-based. But I feel my undergraduate experience has given me a real strong foundation. All of the classes have definitely helped me, but now when I go into my graduate program next year, I feel like all those classes are going to come together and I’ll be able to use them and see what I learned.

In high school, I did get good grades, but I wouldn’t say I was the smartest person, per se. When I came here, and when I started to work harder and harder, I discovered how to really believe in myself and the abilities that I have. Sometimes I question myself about how I got this far, but in the end I know the answer. I do have the capabilities inside of me. That’s something that really shocked me."

Why UC?

Building on a liberal arts foundation, the mission of Utica College's graduate program in occupational therapy is to facilitate the transformation of students into autonomous thinkers and community leaders. Taught by UC’s accomplished faculty, students learn the skills to help people become active, aid those in recovery from a physical or cognitive injury, and provide support to the elderly.

What You’ll Learn

UC’s occupational therapy program is distinctive in its collaborative community alliances that enable faculty and students to meet the needs of society while promoting critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and skill development. The Occupational Therapy program is approved by the New York State Education Department and fully accredited through the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).

“I always had an idea that I would like to help people who may not have the same opportunities and privileges that I have, but now I just have this burning desire to help. Because now I have seen it, I know it, and the OT field experience in the Dominican Republic has made it very real for me.”

A Degree that Works

Our graduates work in a variety of arenas of health care including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, nursing homes, and community programs and private practice. Students and graduates have presented at national and state conferences and many have published in occupational therapy journals and health related journals.

The occupational therapy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449. ACOTE's telephone number, c/o AOTA, is (301) 652-AOTA [301-652-2682] and its Web site is www.acoteonline.org.